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Sunday, May 29, 2016

SUNDAY SPECIAL: Best of the rest 2015

Last Sunday I wrote
about the make-up products that impressed me the most in 2015. This week, I’d
like to share the skincare, haircare and nail products that have been my
absolute favorites in 2015 (and the months after).

Let’s start with
skincare. My favorite moisturizer and face mist both come from the brand
Melvita. I wrote an extensive review of both already and you can check it out
in this post (click). In short, my face has been mainly clean of imperfection and my
skin is feeling well hydrated ever since I’ve started using these products.
They are not the cheapest, but I look at it as an investment!

I’ve tried many
make-up removers in 2015 and yet I keep returning to the Decleor Aroma Cleanse.
This gentle cleansing milk really removes both normal and waterproof make-up
off my face and leaves it feeling smooth. The 200ml bottle costs about 20 € - I
buy if from my beauty salon. This bottle lasted me about six months, so it’s
not overly expensive for the amount you’re getting.

I am so bad at
moisturizing my body in the colder months! Once I get out of the shower, I just
want to get dressed as quickly as possible and not stand there waiting for the lotion
to soak in for the next 10 minutes. The L’Occitane Jasmin-Immortelle-Neroli
body lotion from the Pierre Herme line is one of those lotions that takes no
time at all to sink into the skin. It leaves my body feeling well hydrated and
fresh. Since I used it throughout the pregnancy and escaped without a single
stretch mark, I’m giving it a 5 out of 5 points for effectiveness as well!

I like smelling fresh
even after I’ve been out and about all day, but applying perfume all the time would
be overdoing it, and expensive to boot. The Le Couvent Des Minimes Eau Amiable
cologne is a great alternative, since the smell is not overpowering and the spray
really distributes the product evenly. I tend to spray it on my clothes to make
it linger a bit longer. A bottle will set you back anywhere between 15 and 30 €
depending on the size and you can usually find a good deal at Müller!

I don’t usually like
sticky scrubs and prefer to use dry scrubs that can be mixed with water and
applied, but I’ve completely fallen in love with the Afrodita sugar scrub with
brown sugar and shea butter. I used this religiously during the summer to build
up a healthy tan and keep my skin supple. It also worked great at removing dead
cells after the summer when my skin started to dry up due to the heating. At
about 5 € per jar (I think it would last you about a month if used at every
showering session) it’s a bargain! After using this scrub, you won’t need any
body lotion since it will leave your skin feeling soft I and well hydrated.

Nail polish is one of
my weaknesses and I tend to stick to higher end brands that really deliver on
the promise of true color and longevity. However, I’ve received a few polishes
from the new Avon lines and I’ve really been loving both the Mineral Crush
(from Magic Effects) and Gel finish polishes (so much so that I’ve ordered a
whole bunch of them in different shades). The effect of the Mineral crush line on the nails is
especially fun and I’ve gotten a whole bunch of compliments on it!

Last but not least,
let’s talk about hair. I rarely talk about anything that I receive in sample
size (or a deluxe sample size) since I often cannot get a real feel of the
product before it runs out. However I can firmly say that the Paul Mitchell
Lavender Mint shampoo and conditioner from the Teatree line have been my
absolute favorite hair products in the year 2015! Each time I used this combo,
my hair felt really clean and amazingly soft. A 300ml bottle of each costs
about 20 € which is a lot but used sparingly it can last you a long time. It’s
also not much more expensive then the Joico products I’ve been using so far so
I’m definitely going to treat myself to the full size in the future! You can
buy them in several online stores or in hair salons around you.

I tried using less
leave-in products in the past year since I’ve been instructed by my hairdresser
to let them breathe as much as possible. With the exception of hair oil once in
every blue moon, I’ve stuck to my Beauty Works 10in1 Miracle Spray. It promises
a lot (nourishes, detangles, prevents split ends, enhances natural body etc.)
but as for me, I’ve just found that it gives my hair a lot of volume and a nice
smell while also keeping the frizz of baby hair in check to a certain extent.
At 15 € per bottle it’s priced reasonably and I’ll definitely repurchase it
after it runs out.

That’s it for the
products that I’ve been loving the most in 2015. Did you find any of your favorites among them? Next Sunday, keep your eyes
open for the disappointing ones! And don't forget - you've got two more days to enter the giveaway! Find the instructions here!